Have you ever wondered if the saffron you bought at the store is the real thing or just colored sawdust? It is a fair question, because saffron is the most faked spice in your pantry. It costs more per gram than silver, so fakes show up all the time. The good news is you can check it yourself in about a minute.
Drop a single thread into warm water. Real saffron releases its color slowly, over several minutes. If the water turns bright yellow or red right away, you are holding a dyed imitation. Look at the shape too. A real saffron stigma flares at one end like a small trumpet. It looks uneven, natural. Fake threads tend to be too uniform, all the same size and color. If it crumbles into powder that stains your fingers orange, that is likely turmeric or safflower.
Once you have real saffron, a few threads can change a pot of rice or a bowl of soup. But the interest in saffron goes beyond cooking. Scientists have been looking at two compounds in it, crocin and safranal. These are the same compounds that give saffron its color and smell. They also happen to be the reason saffron shows up in many dietary supplements.
The research on saffron and memory has grown in the last few years. Some small studies suggest that taking saffron extract regularly may help with mild memory problems. The idea is that crocin and safranal might protect brain cells from damage and reduce inflammation. That is not the same as curing a disease, but it is promising enough that more trials are under way.
You should know that the dose in a supplement is usually much smaller than what you would use in a recipe. A pinch of saffron in your paella is not going to give you the same amount of crocin as a concentrated pill. If you want to try it for memory, a supplement is the usual route. But talk to a doctor first. Saffron can affect mood and blood pressure, and it interacts with some medications.
The simplest way to enjoy saffron is still in food. A few threads soaked in warm water and added to a simple rice dish give you a gentle floral taste and a golden color. You get a small dose of those compounds with every meal. Just make sure you bought the real thing first.
There is a fuller write-up at saffron pantry journal.